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In a landmark move for artificial intelligence and international collaboration, G42, OpenAI, Oracle, NVIDIA, SoftBank Group, and Cisco announced their partnership to develop Stargate UAE, a next-generation AI compute cluster to be located at the newly established UAE–US AI Campus in Abu Dhabi.
Read: UAE-US ties: Phase 1 of new 5GW AI campus launches in Abu Dhabi
Spanning 10 square miles, the full campus is the largest such deployment outside of the US. It will provide 5 gigawatts of AI data centre capacity and regional compute resources.
Stargate UAE will be built by G42 and operated by OpenAI and Oracle.
As part of the collaboration, NVIDIA will provide its advanced Grace Blackwell GB300 systems, Cisco will contribute zero-trust security and AI-ready networking solutions, and SoftBank Group will support the initiative as a strategic partner.
The initiative aims to deliver nation-scale compute capacity and low-latency inferencing, enabling high-performance AI solutions for an increasingly intelligent world.
The facility will be powered by nuclear, solar, and natural gas to minimise carbon emissions and it will also house a science park driving innovation, talent development, and sustainable compute infrastructure.
A 1GW Stargate UAE cluster in Abu Dhabi with 200MW is expected to go live in 2026.
Stargate UAE partners share comments
Sam Altman, co-founder and CEO of OpenAI, said, “By establishing the world’s first Stargate outside of the US in the UAE, we’re transforming a bold vision into reality. This is the first major milestone in our OpenAI for Countries initiative — our effort to work with allies and partners to build AI infrastructure around the world. It’s a step toward ensuring some of this era’s most important breakthroughs — safer medicines, personalized learning, and modernized energy—can emerge from more places and benefit the world.”
Peng Xiao, Group CEO of G42, said, “The launch of Stargate UAE is a significant step in the UAE–US AI partnership. As a founding partner, we’re proud to work alongside institutions that share our belief in responsible innovation and meaningful global progress. This initiative is about building a bridge – rooted in trust and ambition – that helps bring the benefits of AI to economies, societies, and people around the world.”
Larry Ellison, CTO and chairman of Oracle, said, “Stargate pairs Oracle’s AI-optimized cloud with nation-scale sovereign infrastructure. This first-in- the-world platform will enable every UAE government agency and commercial institution to connect their data to the world’s most advanced AI models. This landmark deployment sets a new standard for digital sovereignty and demonstrates how nation states can harness the power of the most important technology in the history of humankind.”
Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA, said, “AI is the most transformative force of our time. With Stargate UAE, we are building the AI infrastructure to power the country’s bold vision – to empower its people, grow its economy, and shape its future.”
Masayoshi Son, chairman and CEO of SoftBank Group, said, “When we unveiled Stargate in the US with OpenAI and Oracle, we set out to build an engine for the next information revolution. Now, the UAE becomes the first nation beyond America to embrace this sovereign AI platform, proving the global nature of this vision. SoftBank is proud to support the UAE’s leap forward. Bold investments, trusted partnerships, and national ambition can create a more connected, more joyful and more empowered world.”
Chuck Robbins, chair and CEO of Cisco, said, “Cisco is proud to join Stargate UAE to advance groundbreaking AI innovation in the UAE and around the world. By embedding our secure AI-optimised networking fabric for this international deployment, we’re building smart, secure and energy- efficient networks that will turn intelligence into impact at global scale.”
US-UAE: Mutual benefits
The initiative builds on OpenAI’s unprecedented investment in US AI infrastructure announced in January with the launch of Stargate, reinforcing the company’s commitment to bolstering American capabilities while enabling allies to access transformative AI in a secure and responsible manner.
It also follows the UAE’ pledge earlier this year to invest $1.4tn in the US — a move expected to support job creation, drive economic growth, and help sustain America’s technological leadership.
OpenAI said in a statement: “Stargate UAE also represents the first partnership under OpenAI for Countries, our new initiative to help governments build sovereign AI capabilities in coordination with the US government—anchored in democratic values, open markets, and trusted partnerships.”
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